London, June 14 (BNA) Britain has published plans to scrap some post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland by canceling checks and challenging the role played by the European Union court in a new confrontation with Brussels.
Despite Ireland describing the move as a “new low” and Brussels talking about damage to confidence, Britain has moved ahead with what Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called “relatively petty” steps to improve trade and reduce bureaucracy.
European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said Brussels’ reaction would be proportionate, but ruled out a renegotiation of the trade protocol, Reuters reported.
Tensions have been rising for months after Britain accused the bloc of pursuing a tough policy on the movement of goods between Britain and Northern Ireland – checks necessary to keep the border open with EU member Ireland.
Always the hardest part of the Brexit deal, the situation in the region has set off alarm bells in European capitals and Washington, and among business leaders. It also heightened political tensions, with pro-British communities saying their place in the UK was eroding.
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “I am fully prepared to negotiate with the European Union, but they have to be prepared to change the terms of this agreement which is causing these very serious problems in Northern Ireland.”
“We are quite serious about this legislation.”
Britain has cited the collapse of Northern Ireland’s power-sharing administration as the reason for drafting the legislation, the first step in a process that could take months before the bill becomes law.
The legal advice cited the “principle of necessity”, which is used when governments take measures against the law to protect stability, as the basis for the move, saying that the conditions had been met due to the situation in Northern Ireland.
Britain has long complained that negotiations with the European Union have failed to bear fruit, and the legislation is seen as an insurance policy, possibly a bargaining chip. The bill could absorb any solution agreed upon in those talks.
The new trade spat comes as Britain faces its toughest economic conditions in decades, with inflation expected to hit 10% and growth stalling. Johnson said any talk of a trade war would be a “fatal overreaction”.
The EU’s Sefcovic said the bloc would not renegotiate the protocol, describing the idea as “unrealistic”.
“Any renegotiation will simply lead to more legal uncertainty for people and businesses in Northern Ireland,” Sefcovic said in a statement.
“Our goal will always be to ensure that the Protocol is implemented. Our response to unilateral actions by the UK will reflect that goal and be proportionate.”
new clash
Britain has long threatened to tear up the Protocol, an agreement that kept the region under some EU rules and drew an effective customs border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK to prevent goods from entering the EU’s vast single market.
It now plans to create a “green channel” to transport goods from Britain to Northern Ireland, to change tax rules and end the role of the European Court of Justice as the sole arbiter of disputes. It also wants a dual regulatory system, angering companies who fear rising costs.
The move once again exposed divisions within Johnson’s Conservative Party, a week after the prime minister had just survived a mutiny by his MPs.
Supporters of Brexit have said it could have gone further, and critics fear it could once again undermine London’s standing in the world by challenging an international agreement.
Similar divisions emerged in Northern Ireland.
Brussels believes any unilateral change could breach international law, while Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said only the British government believed it was not a breach.
The EU could take legal action or eventually review the terms of the free trade agreement it agreed with Britain. It has already cast doubt on Britain’s role in the $99 billion Horizon Europe research programme.
On Monday, the White House urged Britain and the European Union to resolve their differences, but said it did not see any impact on the planned US-UK trade dialogue in Boston next week.
“The US priority remains to protect the gains of the Belfast Agreement on Good Friday, and to preserve the peace, stability and prosperity of the people of Northern Ireland,” White House Press Secretary Karen-Jean-Pierre told reporters.
Asked if Britain’s plans could be an impediment to US-UK trade discussions on June 22 or a future trade deal, Jean-Pierre said: “No, I don’t think it will be.”
A spokesman for the British embassy in Washington said there was no link between the dialogue, which would focus on small and medium-sized businesses, and Britain’s talks with the European Union.
“The UK government’s focus is on doing what is right for the people of Northern Ireland and protecting peace and stability,” the spokesman said.